NEWS RELEASE “Know Your Rights” Informs LGBT Community of Their New Benefits Eligibility

For the first time in its long history, the Social Security Administration is providing benefits to same sex married couples, thanks to the Supreme Court’s June 2013 Windsor ruling in the Defense of Marriage Act. This is a significant development with important financial implications for millions of elder lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans, same sex spouses, widows, and children of LGBT parents.

Launched in Fall 2013 in the San Francisco Bay area, “Know Your Rights” is a national education campaign for LGBT Americans impacted by the Windsor decision. The Foundation of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare events are funded in part by the Archstone Foundation to help support a series of “Know Your Rights” town halls in Los Angeles March 18-20. The town halls will include panel discussions with the Social Security Administration, legal experts, and seniors’ and LGBT advocates. Community partners include the LA Gay and Lesbian Center, the Latino Equity Alliance, The Center-Long Beach and API Equality-LA with sponsorship by the Los Angeles City and County Departments of Aging.

The March 18th session, moderated by LA Gay and Lesbian Center CEO, Lorri Jean, will feature panel discussions with the Social Security Administration, legal experts, and seniors’ and LGBT advocates and will be available via webcast for those who can not attend in person.

More than 400 individuals participated in the Bay area town halls. California, with the largest LGBT and Social Security population in the country and Los Angeles with the second largest LGBT population of any city (following New York), are the perfect locations for this second series of educational town halls.

The mission of the National Committee Foundation, founded in 2008, is to protect, promote, and ensure the financial security, health, and well being of current and future generations of older Americans through research, analysis, and public education. Previous successful Foundation projects include: Living Outside the Safety Net: LGBT Families and Social Security in partnership with the Human Rights Campaign, Patients Aware, educating Medicare beneficiaries about their new benefits through the Affordable Care Act, and the latest research report, “Chained CPI; Shackling America’s Economic Recovery.”

Established in 1986, Archstone Foundation is a private, non-profit foundation whose mission is to prepare society for the growing needs of an aging society. Under the leadership of president and CEO Joseph F. Prevratil, J.D., Archstone grants up to $5 million annually, primarily in Southern California.